Driving Standards Agency Test Centre, Gillingham
Gallagher Ltd was appointed as Principal Contractor for the new motorcycle test centre at Courtney Road, Gillingham. The project is one of a significant programme of test centres across the country.
The project involved 5,000 sq m of external high quality macadam surfacing which had to be laid to exacting standards of fall and tolerance to form the motorcycle test area. The macadam was laid on sub base most of which Gallagher re-cycled from demolition materials stock piled on the site. There were some concrete retaining walls to be constructed, drainage and extensive security fencing.
The project also required Gallagher to construct the administration building which although small in scale involved all the usual trades to create the finished accommodation. The design incorporated various ‘sustainable’ features being used by the DSA for the first time. These included solar heated hot water and sun pipes to bring natural daylight into the building. The sun pipes also incorporated toilet extracts with the fans powered by solar p.v.
Some of the new ‘sustainable’ features will be incorporated into future Gallagher developments.